AOAC INTERNATIONAL Meetings

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

WILEY AWARD SYMPOSIUM: INNOVATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY - ADVANCING RESEARCH IN NATURAL PRODUCTS
Molecules and materials derived from natural products have formed the basis for development in many fields, most notably in drug and nutrition research. Many analytical techniques have matured in the effort for characterization of materials and their components, but mass Spectrometry has proved to be the principle tool for discovery, characterization, and quantification. This symposium will illustrate how natural products make their way into the discovery pipeline as potential drug substances, and how mass spectrometry contributes throughout the process.

CHAIR: Roy Martin, Waters Corporation

DISINFECTANTS: EFFICACY TESTING
This symposium will look at approaches to determine the efficacy of disinfectants. The history of regulation, methods required by regulating agencies, information gleaned from testing, and comparisons of the methods themselves will be reviewed. New methods will be proposed for existing and proposed claims of efficacy.

CHAIR: Donna B. Suchmann, President, MICROBIOTEST

Joseph R. Rubino, Reckitt Benckiser, Inc
• Comparison of Methods to Determine Disinfectant Efficacy
Angela L. Hollingsworth, MICROBIOTEST
• A Method to Determine the Efficacy of an Air Sanitizer
Benjamin D. Tanner, Antimicrobial Test Laboratories
• Preliminary Testing for Disinfectants
John A. Mitchell, BioScience Laboratories, Inc.
• Assuring Quality Assurance
Stephen F. Tomasino, U.S. EPA
• Collaborative Testing
Steve Zhou, MICROBIOTEST
• A Method to Determine the Efficacy of Products Against Selected (oo)cysts.

CONTAMINANT COMMUNITY: PROGRESS UPDATE AND VISIONS BY COMMUNITY AND SUB-COMMUNITY CHAIRS
In order to foster progress and collaboration in the contaminants area, a new community was established at the occasion of the last AOAC INTERNATATIONAL Meeting in Anaheim, CA. Since the Contaminants community covers a wide range of areas, it was decided that contaminants subgroups would be established. These are Pesticides, Metals, Unknown, and Veterinary Drugs. At the forthcoming symposium, the leaders of these groups will present the progress they have made over the past year.

CO-CHAIR: Bert Popping, Director Molecular Biology and Immunology, Eurofins Scientific Group

CO-CHAIR: Alexander J. Krynitsky, Chief, Bioanalytical Methods Branch, U.S. FDA - CFSAN

Jo Marie Cook, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Food Safety
• Progress and Achievements of the Contaminants Community as a Whole
Jon W. Wong, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Update on the Pesticide Sub-Group
Stephen G. Capar, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Update on the Metals Sub-Group
Jonathan J. Litzau, U.S. FDA - Forensic Chemistry Center
• Update on the Unknowns Sub-Group
John Reuther, Central Analytical Laboratories
• Update on the Veterinary Drugs Sub-Group

3:30 pm to 5:00 pm

METHODS OF DETECTING VIRUSES AND PRIONS IN FOODS
For historical reasons, viruses and prions are often categorized together. In fact, they are distinct and unrelated pathogens. Viruses cause a wide variety of diseases. Prions are the cause of a set of rare fatal neurological diseases, referred to as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

The information necessary to replicate a virus is contained in the viral genome. In contrast, the information necessary to replicate a prion is contained only in the conformation of the protein that is the sole component of the infectious prion. Viruses are destroyed by common inactivation methods, such as: heat, autoclaving, formaldehyde and UV irradiation. Prions are resistant to these and other conventional forms of inactivation.

Detecting the prion conformation in the presence of its normal cellular prion protein isoform is challenging. There is no prion nucleic acid to amplify and no commercial antibody that recognizes the prion isoform, but not its normal cellular prion protein isoform. In the past, the use of mass spectrometry (MS) has been limited to elucidating the structure of prions. More recently MS has been applied to the detection of prions.

The prion portion of the symposium will focus on recently developed MS-based techniques to detect prions. The viral portion of this symposium will focus on detecting viruses in seafood, using PCR-based methods.

CO-CHAIR: Xiaojin Yu, Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

CO-CHAIR: Christopher J. Silva, Research Chemist, USDA - Western Regional Research Center

Xiaojin Yu, Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Detection of Viruses in Seafood
Christopher J. Silva, USDA - Western Regional Research Center
• Prions: The Chemistry of Infectious Proteins
Christopher J. Silva, USDA - Western Regional Research Center
• Mass Spectrometric Approaches to Detecting Prions and Protein Conformers

Oral Poster Presentation:
Marianna Goldrick, BIOO Scientific Corporation
• Sensitive Assay for Detection of White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection in Shrimp

TRENDS IN PESTICIDE FORMULATION ANALYSES
Analyses of pesticide formulations in household, hospital and care provider products, and agricultural materials are an important part of the AOACI Agricultural Materials Analytical Community. Instrumentation and analytical techniques have improved, as have the pesticide materials and formulated products. Products and materials are being introduced that are more environmentally "greener" with improvements in packaging, choice of diluents, and/or propellants. Less persistent and toxic pesticides are being developed to replace those such as organochlorine, organophosphates, and carbamates. Additionally, formulation products containing multiple active ingredients often require unique and innovative analytical procedures and techniques.

Instrument technology has improved such that many existing "official" analytical enforcement methods are in need of significant updates or upgrades (ie: capillary columns in lieu of packed columns, new generation LC columns, Chiral analyses for multi-isomer compounds, etc.). Activities initiated by international groups such as AOACI, CIPAC (Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council) and others are addressing the situation. State, Federal, and International regulatory agencies and pesticide manufacturers are concerned and involved in the development and validation of reliable analytical methods, not just for parent active ingredients but associated relevant impurities as well. Reliable analytical methods suitable for enforcement purposes are absolutely necessary for proper and adequate registration and regulation of pesticide products and materials. Participation of analytical laboratories in on-going proficiency testing programs is necessary to document and maintain the high level of expertise required. Adequate method development, validation, and collaboration are all needed to produce the best methods for pesticide formulation analyses.

This symposium will address these current topics in pesticide formulation analysis by bringing together members of government, industry and academia.

CHAIR: Adrian W. Burns, Chemist, U.S. EPA - Office of Pesticide Programs

Kenneth James Welch, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
• Method Development Criteria to Satisfy OCED Countries (UK, US, and Australia): An International Perspective
Rose Mary Nelson, Dow AgroSciences LLC
• Analytical Method Development for Agricultural Products
Tommy D. Phillips, Maryland Department of Agriculture
• Determination of Phenols and Phenates in RTUs and Concentrated Formulations: An SLV Validation
Ping Wan, Office of the Indiana State Chemist
• Proficiency Testing for Pesticide Formulated Products - The AAPCO Check Sample Program: The History and the Future

TRANS FATS: UPDATE ON METHODOLOGY AND LEVELS IN PROCESSED FOODS
It is now universally accepted that consumption of trans fatty acids increases the risk of heart disease than any other type of fat. Therefore regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives have been recommended and implemented in many countries including Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark. The WHO/FAO expert consultation on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases recommended that intakes of industrially produced trans fatty acids not exceed 1% of total energy intake.

Due to the above initiatives and consumer demand for trans fat free foods, several food manufacturers in Canada and USA have taken action to remove or reduce the trans content of foods. Removing industrially produced trans fatty acids requires the replacement of partially hydrogenated oils with alternative fats such as tropical oils (palm, palm kernel or coconut oil) or more preferably vegetable oils high in cis-oleic acid. The impact of the use of trans fat alternatives on the levels of trans fat, saturated fat and unsaturated fats of reformulated foods is, however, not fully known.

At this symposium, a distinguished slate of speakers of international repute will provide an update on improved methods for the determination of trans fats in processed foods, and they will explore whether the initiatives taken by the regulatory agencies and the food industry had any impact in reducing the trans fat and resultant improved fatty acid profiles of foods sold in Canada, USA, Europe and other parts of the world that were previously known to contain foods with high levels of trans fats.

CHAIR: Sarwar Gilani, Senior Research Scientist, Health Canada

Pierluigi Delmonte, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Synthesis of Reference Materials for the Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Fatty Acids
Pierre-Alain Golay, Nestle
• Quantification of Trans Fatty Acids in Food Products: The Nestle Approach
Nimal Ratnayake, Health Canada
• Overview of Results of Trans Fat Monitoring Program of Canada
Brent Flickinger, Archer Daniels Midland Company
• How Food Fats Have Changed in USA in Response to Health Concerns of Dietary Trans Fats?
Erik J. M. Konings, The Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority
• Dietary Levels of Trans Fats and Related Policy Issues in the Netherlands and Other European Countries
Masood Butt, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
• Levels of Trans Fats in Diets Consumed in South Asian Countries

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008

8:15 am to 9:45 am

INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY INITIATIVES ON PRIORITY FOOD ALLERGENS
This symposium will provide an overview of current regulatory requirements related to the labeling of priority allergens in foods. The discussion will focus on various approaches used by food regulators, in developing and updating lists of priority food allergens, their labeling requirements when they are added to processed foods as ingredients, as well as in instances of non-deliberate cross-contact. Other policy and risk management initiatives, aiming at improved protection of food allergic consumers, will be discussed.

CHAIR: Samuel Benrejeb Godefroy, Director, Health Canada - Bureau of Chemical Safety

Bert Popping, Eurofins Scientific Group
• European Regulatory Environment for Allergens in Food
Felicia Billingslea, U.S FDA-CFSAN
• U.S. FDA Food Allergen Labeling Initiatives
Samuel Benrejeb Godefroy, Health Canada - Bureau of Chemical Safety
• Canadian Regulatory and Policy Initiatives to Protect Food Allergic Consumers
Hikmat Hayder, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
• Labelling Requirements for Food Allergens According to the Australian Food Standards Code
Hiroshi Akiyama, National Institute of Health Sciences Japan
• Japanese Labeling and Testing Requirements for Allergens in Food

EMERGING AND DEVELOPING FOOD SAFETY TRENDS
Food safety problems continue to evolve with changes in our lifestyles, production practices, as well as with adaptive changes of the pathogens themselves, thereby, creating interesting challenges and testing problems. For instance, E. coli O157:H7 remains to be prevalent EHEC causing illness, but, non-O157 STEC strains are increasingly being implicated in foodborne illness worldwide. Similarly, in the last several years, Salmonella contamination has been found in some unusual commodities, which necessitated unique preparation and testing procedures. Enterotoxin production is typically associated with coagulase- and thermostable nuclease-positive Staphylococcus aureus, but atypical S. aureus and non-aureus staphylococci can also be enteroxigenic and often overlooked in analysis. Furthermore, there are many genera of bacteria that are not well recognized or suspected to be foodborne pathogens, but these are often not tested at all in foods. This presentation will focus on some of these unique food testing challenges.

CO-CHAIR: Reginald W. Bennett, Chief, Microbial Methods Development Branch, U.S. FDA - CFSAN

CO-CHAIR: Purnendu C. Vasavada, Professor, University of Wisconsin, River Falls

Peter Feng, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Emerging Public Health Concerns for Non-O157 STEC: Strategies for Analysis in Foods
Purnendu C. Vasavada, University of Wisconsin, River Falls
• Less Recognized and Suspected Foodborne Pathogens
Thomas S. Hammack, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• A Salmonella Culture Method for All Foods: What About Unusual Commodities?
Reginald W. Bennett, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Logical Wisdom Lost in Information: Other Toxigenic Culprits in the Genus, Staphylococcus

8:15 am to 11:45 am

METHOD VERIFICATION WORKSHOP
Standardized methods of analysis are highly valued by all stakeholders involved in food safety and quality. National legislation as well as international agreements refer to documentary standards (product as well as procedural standards) to enable international trade as well as to support the well being of consumers. Many of the standardized methods available nowadays have been validated by a collaborative study organized and evaluated according to internationally agreed protocols. Although a collaboratively validated method is consider as having an impeccable pedigree with regard to transferability among laboratories, a laboratory still needs to demonstrate that it is able to competently apply it. As it is a requirement of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (clause 5.4.2: the laboratory shall confirm that it can properly operate standard methods before introducing the tests or calibrations) and authoritative texts how to implement properly a standardized method in a laboratory was lacking, AOAC has developed a comprehensive guideline describing what should be done to provide the required evidence. The workshop will build on last year's highly successful TDLM symposium were the need for method verification and strategies for its implementation were discussed. As an introductory note these findings will be shared with participants of the workshop to make them familiar with principles of method verification. Guided group work, tutorials and an open discussion forum will deepen the understanding of the practical aspects of method verification. Workshop participants will be able to implement the ALACC guide in chemical as well as microbiological laboratories so as to satisfy the needs of accreditors.

This Workshop is open to all attendees. However, the first 50 people that sign up will be directly involved in the Workshop -- additional attendees will be observers. To sign up for this Workshop, please email Dawn Mettler at dmettler@hocking.net.

CO-CHAIR: Dawn M. Mettler, President, Rockbridge Laboratory Services

CO-CHAIR: Franz Ulberth, Head of Food Safety and Quality Unit, IRMM - Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements

Workshop Participants:
John Szpylka, Medallion Laboratories
Franz Ulberth, IRMM - Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements
Dawn M. Mettler, Rockbridge Laboratory Services

10:15 am to 11:45 am

FOOD ALLERGEN THRESHOLDS: RISK ASSESSMENT APPROACHES
Exposure to trace quantities of allergenic foods are sufficient to elicit allergic reactions in sensitized individuals. Yet, clinical evidence indicates that food-allergic individuals display no-observed adverse effect levels (thresholds) below which they will not experience adverse reactions. Definition of regulatory thresholds based on food-allergic populations and their individual thresholds would be useful on many levels including the establishment of target levels of sensitivity for the development of analytical methods. This symposium will present approaches that may be used to establish thresholds and examine existing evidence.

CHAIR: Steve L. Taylor, Professor, University of Nebraska

Steven M. Gendel, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Approaches to Threshold Assessment
Rene Crevel, Unilever
• Industry Perspective on Food Allergen Thresholds
Steve L. Taylor, University of Nebraska
• Can Threshold Doses Be Established on the Basis of Clinical Challenges?

IMPACT OF MOLECULAR AND CONVENTIONAL BACTERIOLOGICAL METHODS ON FOOD SAFETY
The rapid and accurate detection of foodborne pathogens is paramount for the maintenance of a safe and secure food supply. The impact of sensitive and efficient detection methods on food safety will be discussed. Conventional plate based and molecular detection methods offer important but distinct features when surveying food sources for microbiological contaminants. The differences between conventional and molecular methodologies transcend simple pathogen detection schemes and are now noted as important in regulatory and legal arenas. Recently, single detection protocols are now integrating combinations of the two kinds of methods to capture the sensitivity of molecular probing with the reliability and established sensibilities of plating strategies. Here, we present some of the current challenges in resolving the application of these various methods to surveying and protecting the food supply as well as future potentials and pitfalls of several newly developed detection methods.

CHAIR: Keith A. Lampel, Director, Division of Microbiology, U.S. FDA - CFSAN

Keith A. Lampel, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Overview of Integrating Microbiological and Molecular Methods
Thomas S. Hammack, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Strengths, Foibles and Future of Microbiological Methods
George Wilson, BD Diagnostics
• Relevance of Growth Based Microbiology in a High Tech World
Morgan Wallace, Dupont Qualicon
• Limits of Detection in Microbial Testing: How Low Can We Go and Is it Ever Low Enough?
Mimi Healy, Bacterial Barcodes, Inc.
• Microbial Strain Typing by Automated rep-PCR: From Farm to Fork and Homeland Security to Hospital
John R. McQuinston, Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Molecular Determination of Serotype in Salmonella

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN BACTERIA
Changes in antimicrobial drug susceptibilities of bacterial organisms are of current concern, the news and scientific meetings are filled with reports of antibiotic resistance organisms that are producing problems in humans and animals. We have prepared a panel of internationally recognized professionals to present data on these issues, as well as method development in identification, isolation, and analysis of these organisms.

CHAIR: Socrates Trujillo, Researcher, U.S. FDA - CFSAN

Keith A. Lampel, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Multidrug Resistance in Shigella boydii in the Third World
Jennifer Hait, US. FDA - CFSAN
• Current Concerns with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Food Safety
Elvira Hall-Robinson, US FDA - Center for Veterinary Medicine
• National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)
Jie Zheng, University of Maryland, College Park
• Efflux Pump Gene Expression and Multidrug Resistance among Enteric Pathogens
Gayatri Vedantam, Loyola University Chicago
• Molecular Biology Approaches to Dissect Mechanisms of Resistance and Pathogenesis in Anaerobic Pathogens

FOOD ALLERGEN RISK MANAGEMENT: IMPACTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND SOCIETY
The Food Allergen Risk Management symposium will showcase how the food industry and the regulatory authorities are working together to minimize health risk associated with inadvertent presence of major food allergens in food products. Effective identification, assessment and management of uncertainty in food allergen are key to differentiate top performers in both government and business environments. An effective risk management program gives your organization the security to pursue its goals without fear of unexpected setbacks on business. The symposium allows participants to share information, build partnerships as well as acquire tools and techniques to help their organizations address this increasingly important issue. The speakers are top-notch professionals in the field of allergen management, and the topics covered are comprehensive. Be sure to bring your company concerns and your questions for discussion!

CO-CHAIR: Stan W. Bacler, Manager, Foods Chemistry Laboratory Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

CO-CHAIR: Jupiter M. Yeung, Director, Biochemistry, Grocery Manufacturers Association

Jupiter M. Yeung, Grocery Manufacturers Association
• Can Fryer Oil Serve as an Allergen Cross Contact Medium?
Fiona Fleming, George Weston Technologies
• Australia VITAL Risk Assessment
Marianne P. Ross, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• National Electronic Injury Surveillance System: Prevalence of Food Induced Allergic Events
Stan W. Bacler, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Dark Chocolate: May Contain or Does Contain Milk?

NATURAL TOXINS AND TOXIC MICROORGANISMS DETECTION: IMPACT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
In the 21st century there is an absence of boundaries in trade and also in threats to food safety. Addressing analytical challenges of food safety and defense requires modern and interdisciplinary approaches that cross conceptual boundaries. This applies also to detection strategies for marine toxins, mycotoxins, the botulinum toxins, phytotoxins such as ricin, and, via nucleic acids or protein determinants, toxic microorganisms - All could benefit from advances in micro-and nano-fabrication. The purpose of this session is to encourage new collaborations between multiple fields, and to ensure that these new ideas are known to analytical communities seeking "real world" validations and implementations.

CO-CHAIR: Antje J. Baeumner, Associate Professor, Cornell University

CO-CHAIR: James M. Hungerford, Research Chemist, U.S. FDA - ORA

Victoria VanderNoot, Sandia National Labs
• HABLab: A Micro Fabricated Total Analytical System (uTAS) for Detecting Phytotoxins in Water
Steven A. Soper, Louisiana State University
• Micro-Total Analysis Systems for Toxic Microorganisms
Rick Stevens, University of Washington
• A Portable SPR Biosensor for Detection of Small Molecules, Proteins and Microbes
Antje J. Baeumner, Cornell University
• Cholera Toxin Detection in Microfluidic Biosensors

3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

NATURAL TOXINS: METHOD DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION - EXPANDING NEEDS AND STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE
In addition to Task Force efforts to modernize testing methods and to reduce animal usage, the Marine and Freshwater Toxins community must deal with multiple stakeholder needs and increasing globalization of trade. Superimposed are several other challenges, including the already widespread nature of the toxin-producing organisms plus their still-expanding impact (such as the appearance of ciguatoxins in the Gulf of Mexico and also 2008 blooms of Dinophysis off of Texas) Speakers in this session, as well as among the Bioactives sessions, will give timely presentations on these and other polyether toxins, and also a stakeholder perspective.

CO-CHAIR: James M. Hungerford, Research Chemist, U.S. FDA - ORA

CO-CHAIR: Toshiyuki Suzuki, Senior Researcher, Tohoku National Fisheries Research Institute

Tracy Villareal, The University of Texas at Austin
• Ciguatoxicity in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Toshiyuki Suzuki, Tohoku National Fisheries Research Institute
• LC-MS Analysis of Several Dinophysis spp. in Japan
Lei Bao, Shan Dong Import-Export Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of China
• Marine Toxins and Mycotoxins: Analytical Needs from China's Perspective
Takeshi Yasumoto, Japan Food Research Laboratories
• Production of Putative Analogs of Okadaic Acid and New Cytotoxic Macrolides by Prorocentrum

Oral Poster Presentation:
Philipp Hess, Marine Institute
• BIOTOX Intercomparisons on LC-MS Analysis of Lipophilic Marine Toxins from the OA-, AZA-, PTX- and YTX-Groups

PROFICIENCY TESTING AND REFERENCE MATERIALS: INTERRELATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Materials that are used for proficiency testing become well characterized by the data generated from these programs. These consensus reference materials can be very valuable because they may be the only reference material available for certain analytes, particularly for food contaminant testing. In addition, the data generated in proficiency testing programs may represent the first step on the way to the material becoming a certified reference material. Conversely, certified reference materials may be included in the samples used in a proficiency program to benchmark the laboratories participating.

CO-CHAIR: William G. Ikins, Corporate Chemistry Director, Silliker Laboratories

CO-CHAIR: Donna L. Zink, Director, AIM Research Enterprises

Andree Lamberty, IRMM - Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements
• Demands from Proficiency Testing on the Characteristics of Reference Materials
Catherine A. Rimmer, National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Dietary Supplement Proficiency Testing: NIST Pilot Program
John Gilbert, Central Science Laboratory
• Surplus Test Materials from Food Chemistry Proficiency Testing

Oral Poster Presentation:
Yolanda Fintschenko, ThermoFisher Scientific
• The Role of Speciation in Food Safety Analysis

FOOD ALLERGENS: ANALYTICAL CHALLENGES
Compliance with current regulations regarding the labeling of food allergens, enforcement activities and risk assessment require the use of reliable detection methods. Because of growing activities in the global trade market and the need to protect allergic consumers, joint efforts at international level are taken place among regulatory agencies, food industry and kit manufacturers to harmonize validation protocols for allergen testing. Additional initiatives are not only addressing the characterization of standard reference materials suitable for allergen analysis but they are also providing cleaning and sampling strategies for the food industry as part of their food allergen management plans. The symposium will also address new developments on confirmatory analytical methods and multiplexing.

CO-CHAIR: Carmen Westphal, Research Biologist, U.S. FDA - CFSAN

CO-CHAIR: Bert Popping, Director Molecular Biology and Immunology, Eurofins Scientific Group

Michael Abbott, Health Canada
• Update on Efforts to Develop a Harmonized Validation Protocol for ELISA-Based Food Allergen Detection Methods
Soheila J. Maleki, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
• Important Issues to Consider when Developing Allergen Standards and Detection Kits
John Szpylka, Medallion Laboratories
• Food Allergens in the Production Environment: Cleaning Procedures and Analytical Testing
Kevin Shefcheck, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
Quantification of Food Allergens Using LC-MS
Bert Popping, Eurofins Scientific Group
• Validation Studies in Europe and a New Approach to Multiplexing

Oral Poster Presentation:
Sabine Hildebrandt, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Effects of Processing on the Ability to Detect and Quantify the Gene Encoding Parvalbumin in Atlantic Salmon

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008

8:15 am to 9:45 am

HOT TOPIC: AUTHENTICITY AND SPECIATION
Fraudulent substitution of cheaper or more frequently available goods is a constant issue which has an enormous economical impact on industry and consumers alike. Often there is not only the economical impact but also a health issue to consider. Novel methods have been developed to allow identification of fraudulent good which include the substitution of expensive monk fish with illegally imported toxic pufferfish, the identification of coffee and wine varieties and origin, the substitution of one catfish variety with another and the authenticity of honey originating from specific geographic regions. This symposium will give an insight into a range of new methods to combat fraud.

CHAIR: Bert Popping, Director Molecular Biology and Immunology, Eurofins Scientific Group

Sanja Risticevic, University of Waterloo
• Determination of Variety and Geographic Origin of Roasted Coffee and Icewine
Jonathan R. Deeds, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Species Determination and Toxin Detection in Illegally Imported Pufferfish Responsible for Human Illness
Hamide Senyuva, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
• The Chemical Characteristics and Geographical Origin of Turkish Honey Samples
Bruce W. Ritter, ELISA Technologies
Amanda Shanks, ELISA Technologies
• Identification of Replacement of Catfish Species

SEPARATING AND QUANTIFYING VITAMINS USING LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY: UPDATED METHODS TO DETERMINE VITAMINS BY LC/MS
Accuracy and standardized methods for vitamins are required to assess the nutritional safety and compositional adequacy of foods, infant formula, medical foods and dietary supplements. Historically, vitamins have been quantified using microbiological methods and chromatographic methods with an array of spectrometric detectors. Microbiological methods are expensive, labor intensive and require well-trained analysts to obtain marginal levels of precision and accuracy. Chromatographic methods equipped with photometric detectors require extensive sample enrichment. Recent advances in performance and durability along with lower cost has allowed analytical laboratories to adopt powerful LC-MS analytical techniques as a preferred and cost effective means of separating and quantifying vitamins in complex matrices. The goal of this LC-MS vitamin symposium is to provide an assessment of current and future uses of LC-MS for determining vitamins. The symposium will provide technical information on the applications of LC-MS in a modern laboratory. The symposium will also provide a robust discussion on strengths and weaknesses of ionization and mass separation techniques. Validation and standardization of LC-MS methods for vitamins analysis is an essential foundation required by regulatory laboratories. The symposium will provide a discussion period to address validation issues, such as, collaborative studies, the use of standard reference material, and how the matrix affects the quantification process.

CO-CHAIR: Wayne R. Wolf, Research Chemist, USDA, Food Composition Methods Development Laboratory

CO-CHAIR: George M. Ware, Research Chemist, U.S. FDA, Atlanta Center for Nutrient Analysis

George M. Ware, U.S. FDA, Atlanta Center for Nutrient Analysis
• Need for Updated Routine Methods for Vitamins
Pierre Andrieux, Nestle Research Center
• Overview of LC-MS Applied to Vitamin Determination
Catherine A. Rimmer, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Karen W. Phinney, National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Analysis of Vitamins in Reference Materials by LC/MS
Antonietta Gledhill, Waters Corporation
• New Approaches for LC/MS Determination of Vitamins
Sheher B. Mohsin, Agilent Technologies
• Update on LC-MS Instrumentation for Vitamins

8:15 am to 11:45 am

BIOACTIVES: DETECTING THE UNKNOWN, AND PARALLELS IN DRUG DISCOVERY AND TOXIN DETECTION
This symposium has the aim to bring together researchers from the two disciplines of marine toxins and from drug discovery. Both areas heavily rely on screening. However, while methods for marine toxins have traditionally been based on live animal assays, drug discovery has gone over to much more advanced techniques of high throughput screening, including functional assays and virtual screening (computer modeling). Parallel developments should be addressed as well as differences in the strategies used. Some of the technologies used in drug discovery are designed for detection of particularly small quantities of bioactive compounds and should be useful to the toxin area where limited availability of compounds has been hampering research for decades. Similarly, toxin screening may also be useful for the pharmaceutical industry and target discovery research.

CO-CHAIR: Philipp Hess, Team Leader, Marine Institute

CO-CHAIR: James M. Hungerford, Research Chemist, U.S. FDA - ORA

Richard van Breemen, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Screening for Electrophilic and Potentially Toxic Metabolites Using LC-MS-MS
Takeshi Yasumoto, Japan Food Research Laboratories
• Diversity of Toxins Produced by Gambierdiscus toxicus and Ostreopsis spp. collected in Okinawa
Alfonso Lampen, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
• Effect Directed Analysis: Using Reporter Gene Assayus for the Detection of Unknown Food Contaminants and Intestinal Cells for the Estimation of the Oral Bioavailability
Richard J. Lewis, The University of Queensland
• Venomics to Drugs: Analgesic Cone Snail Venom Peptides
Robert W. Dickey, U.S. FDA - Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory
• In-vitro Assays and LC-MS(MS): Ciguatoxins in Fish, Brevetoxin Metabolites in Shellfish
Philipp Hess, Marine Institute
• Marine Biotoxins among the Bioactives: Lessons Learned and Missing Information
Daniel G. Baden, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
• Disruptive Technologies Fuel Marine Biotechnology
Michael A. Quilliam, National Research Council of Canada
Shawna L. MacKinnon, National Research Council of Canada
Patricia LeBlanc, National Research Council of Canada
William Hardstaff, National Research Council of Canada
Nancy Lewis, National Research Council of Canada
Rex Munday, AgResearch
• Spirolides: Discovery, Toxicity, and Pharmacological Potential

Oral Poster Presentations:
Atsushi Yoshino, Tropical Technology Center
• Single Laboratory Validation Study on the DSP Assay Kit Using Recombinant PP2A
Ana Gago-Martinez, University of Vigo
• Analytical Evaluation for the Study of Saxitoxin's Brain Distribution and its Effects on the Levels of Neurotransmitters in Different Rat Brain Regions

10:15 am to 11:45 am

SEPARATING AND QUANTIFYING VITAMINS USING LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY: SAMPLE PREPARATION/APPLICATIONS FOR DETERMINING VITAMINS

CO-CHAIR: Wayne R. Wolf, Research Chemist, USDA, Food Composition Methods Development Laboratory

CO-CHAIR: George M. Ware, Research Chemist, U.S. FDA, Atlanta Center for Nutrient Analysis

Don L. Gilliland, Abbott Nutrition/Ross Laboratories
• Vitamins in Infant Formula via LC/MS/MS
Douglas Winters, Covance Laboratories
• LC/MS/MS Vitamin Testing Research
Craig Byrdwell, USDA, Food Composition Methods Development Laboratory
• LC-MS Examination of Vitamin D Methods
Wayne R. Wolf, USDA, Food Composition Methods Development Laboratory
• Simultaneous Determination of Water Soluble Vitamins by LC/MS

QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CONDUCTING RELIABLE ANALYSIS
The food and fish industry, water plants and other food producers are responsible for their products and that these are produced and offered for sale in accordance with national food laws and regulations. To confirm product quality and safety according to the regulations, the authorities need to perform analyses. Previously, such analyses were performed (mainly) by official laboratories. Now private laboratories have taken over much of this function in many of the Nordic and European countries, and the competition between them is tough. Before the authorities make a call for tender, it is necessary to describe and specify the task in detail. Also, the food industry or others that may need frequent analyses and extensive analytical services, have to specify their needs whenever purchasing analyses.

ISO 17025 is recognized worldwide and is the basis for the quality system. Based on this standard specific guidelines have been elaborated in order to help the authorities, laboratories and food industry to implement the quality requirements in different areas. Guidelines for estimation and expression of measurement uncertainty, use of certified reference materials and requirements in connection with call for tenders for analysis will be discussed.

CHAIR: Hilde Skaar Norli, NMKL Secretary General, NMKL c/o National Veterinary Institute, Norway

Astrid Nordbotten, Norwegian Food Safety Authority
• Guidelines for Preparing Specifications in Connection with Call for Tenders for Conducting Food Analysis
M.L. Jane Weitzel, Watson Pharmaceuticals
• Application of the Approaches in the ISO Standard and Eurachem Guides and Measurement Uncertainty to Setting Specifications: Examples from the Food Industry
Lars Jorhem, National Food Administration, Sweden
• Guidelines for Use of Certified Reference Materials
Hilde Skaar Norli, NMKL
• Guidelines for Estimation of the Measurement Uncertainty within Microbiological Analysis

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

JUICES AND JUICE PRODUCTS: ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Juice products offer unique analytical challenges. Revolutionary new technologies offer unique alternatives to traditional methods of analysis. An overview of new developments in juices, microbiological testing, and new chemical test methods will be presented.

CO-CHAIR: Edward B. Walker, Professor of Chemistry, Weber State University

CO-CHAIR: Henry B. Chin, Senior Director, The Coca-Cola Company

Henry B. Chin, The Coca-Cola Company
• Emerging Issues and Trends in Juice and Juice Products
Mickey E. Parish, University of Maryland, College Park
• Traditional and Emerging Issues
Joshua Hicks, Bruker-Biospin
• NMR-based Multi Parametric Quality Control of Fruit Juices

ANALYTICAL CHALLENGES IN DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
This session of the symposia is directed to bring attention of peers and collaborators in the area of dietary supplement industry and academia regarding the analytical challenges confronted from a scientific and technical perspective. The growing complexity in the product formulation due to discovery of new/novel natural products/herbs and their existence in a mixture form in conjunction to the cGMP regulations, quality and analytical methods to test for them creates a huge opportunity in our industry. To add to the challenges, global markets have their own unique rules of regulations for registering products made from such formulation. Not all the ingredients in the dietary supplement industry have compendial methods but that does not stop or means that we are limited to choose those that have one. This symposium takes an effort to bring these challenges in the forefront. The main focus of this segment will be to share issues and opportunities surrounding the discovery of new herbal ingredients, adulteration of botanicals and other ingredients and last but not the least analytical solution for the development and validation of robust methods for complex herbal preparations.

CO-CHAIR: Amit Chandra, Research Associate, Analytical Services, Access Business Group

CO-CHAIR: Jat Rana, Research Associate, Analytical Services, Access Business Group

Amit Chandra, Access Business Group
• New Botanical Ingredients in Dietary Supplements: Analytical Challenges for Total Quality Control
Steve E. Lunetta, Pharmavite LLC
• Adulteration of Botanicals and Other Nutritional Supplements
Klaus Reif, PhytoLab GmbH & Co., KG
• Analytical Solution for the Development and Validation of Robust Methods for Complex Herbal Preparations

Oral Poster Presentations:
Richard Kornfeld, Dionex Corporation
• A Rapid Method for Determining Glucosamine in Dietary Supplements using HPAE-PAD
Rahul S. Pawar, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Phytochemical and Analytical Studies on Symphytum Species

1:00 pm to 4:30 pm

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS THAT ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS PROVIDE TOXICOLOGISTS
The goal of the symposium is to show the effects that analytical chemistry is having on toxicology, consumer perceptions, and regulatory policy. How are analytical chemists posing problems for toxicologists and how are they presenting solutions for toxicological studies and risk assessment? There seems to be a disconnect between analytical chemists and toxicologists that should be addressed, and this symposium is an opportunity for analytical chemists and toxicologists to communicate about their needs and capabilities. Can toxicologists and analytical chemists meet the real needs of the public, lawmakers and regulators? The talks will be designed to move the focus from what CAN we do as analytical chemists towards what SHOULD we do. The audience of this symposium will gain a better understanding of toxicology, and how to better meet real analytical needs rather than perceived needs.

CHAIR: Steven J. Lehotay, Lead Scientist, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Linda S. Birnbaum, EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory
• Toxicology and Analytical Chemistry of Dioxins
Carl K. Winter, University of California, Davis
• Pesticides in Food: Residues vs. Risks
Daniel R. Doerge, U.S. FDA National Center for Toxicological Research
• Toxicology of Acrylamide in Food
Bryan W. Brooks, Baylor University
• Ecotoxicology of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
Charles R. Powley, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
• The Impact of Analytical Chemistry on Our Understanding of Polyfluorinated Compounds in the Environment
Steven J. Lehotay, USDA Agricultural Research Service
• An Analytical Chemist's Perspective on Regulatory Policies Pertaining to Chemical Residues in Food

3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

ANALYTICAL CHALLENGES TO CONSIDER WHEN ANALYZING TRACE LEVEL CONTAMINANTS IN FOOD
Food matrices have always been a challenge to analytical chemists when determining trace levels of contaminants in these complex matrices. Even with sophisticated instrumentation such as mass spectrometry which offers specificity and lower detection limits, the problem still remains with developing reliable quantitative methods. Proper sample preparation is the key for developing analytical methods. The purpose of this symposium is to discuss newer analytical approaches which include sample preparation and instrumentation, for the determination of trace level contaminants in food matrices. The contaminants covered in this symposium will include the multiresidue determination of pesticides residues and antibiotic residues in a variety of food matrices.

CHAIR: Alexander J. Krynitsky, Chief, Bioanalytical Methods Branch, U.S. FDA - CFSAN

Jon W. Wong, U.S. FDA - CFSAN
• Challenges in the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Foods and Botanical Dietary Supplement
Walter T. Hammack, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Multiresidue Method for the Determination of Antibiotic Residues in Seafood
Michael S. Young, Waters Corporation
• SPE Protocols for Rapid uPLC-MS Determination of Sulfonamide and Tetracycline Antibacterials in Milk

Oral Poster Presentations:
Jack Cochran, Restek Corporation
• Evaluation of a Modified QuEChERS Method and GCxGC-ECD for Determination of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Baby Foods
Yolanda Fintschenko, ThermoFisher Scientific
• Fast Multi-Residue GC-MS/MS Pesticide Analysis

NEW ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES: X-RAY FLUORESCENCE
Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) analyzers, particularly the field portable versions, have undergone dramatic improvement in their ability to rapidly determine a wide range of elements down to low ppm levels. The goal of this symposium is to introduce potential users to this relatively new technology, illustrate how it can be used for field screening of large numbers of samples for contaminated lots/products (sample triage), and describe recent applications (toxic elements in foods, Asian patent medicines, and dietary supplements). When used properly, these instruments are capable of providing definitive analytical results that can serve as the basis for regulatory decisions in a fraction of the time required versus conventional methods.

CO-CHAIR: Richard M. Jacobs, Toxic Element Specialist, U.S. FDA

CO-CHAIR: Peter T. Palmer, Professor and Associate Chair, San Francisco State University

Peter T. Palmer, San Francisco State University
• XRF – An Introduction to the Technique and Its Use for Generating Reliable Qualitative and Quantitative Data
David L. Anderson, U.S. FDA
• Analytical Capabilities of a Portable XRF Analyzer for FDA-Regulated Products
Richard M. Jacobs, U.S. FDA
• FDA Regulatory Applications of EDXRF